Hay-fork



(ModeL) H. H. WRIGHT.

HAY FORK.

No. 454,103. Patented'June 16,1891.

lllllllli UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY H. \VRIGHT, OF NEAR NEIVPORT, PENNSYLVANIA.

HAY-FORK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 454,103, dated June 16, 1891. Application filed November 7, 1890- Serial No. 370,619. (Modeld To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HENRY H. TRIGHT, a citizen of the United States, residing near Newport, in the county of Perry and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and usef ul Hay-Fork. of which. the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to provide a hay-fork that will be simple in construction, easy of operation, light, and durable; and to this end I proceed as follows, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof, wherein- Figure 1 is a view in front elevation of a hay-fork constructed according to my invention, the parts of the fork being shown as in their normal position when being forced into the hay; and Fig. 2 is an edge View of the same. Figs. 3 and 4: are detail views of one of the pivoted connecting-arms and prongs or points; and Fig. 5 is a view in elevation of the device, showing the parts of the fork in their projected position, as when loaded with hay.

The frame of the fork may be of any suitable material, either wood or metal, and it is composed of a bow-shaped member A, terminating in two ends a, pointed, as at a, and a middle member a, also pointed, connected together by a cross-brace The members a and a" are made double, as is also the crossbrace 13, as shown in Fig. 2, and pivoted between the lower ends of the said members are prongs C, to which are pivoted bars or rods D, whose upper ends are pivoted to short arms E, having a pivotal connection with theframe, as at e, and also to a connecting-bar F.

G is a lever pivoted to the connecting-barb and to the cross-brace B, whereby the prongs of the fork are operated in the following manner: The fork being in its normal position, as in Fig. 1, with the lever G at an angle relative to the frame and the prongs of the fork retracted within theframe and in a vertical position, it is now forced into the hay the desired depth,when the lever G is thrown back in the direction indicated by the arrow,which movement of the lever causes a corresponding movement of the bar F and arms E, which arms are thereby caused to assume a vertical position, and thus the rods D are forced downward, which causes the points of the prongs C to be projected inward or to assume aposition at right angles to the frame, as shown in Fig. 5. Thus the load of hay is held upon the fork, when the same may be elevated and moved without risk of dropping its load. Upon a reverse movement of the lever G from that just described the prongs of the fork are retracted, allowing the hayto slip from the fork. A rope is attached to the outer end of lever G and passes around pulley J, whereby said lever may be operated and the prongs retracted when dumping the load.

As shown in Fig. 1, when in a normal position the bars D and points 0 rest at an angle relative to each other, so that a line drawn through the pivotal connections of said bars will pass outside of the pivot of the points, as shown 011 the left of Fig. 1. The downward movement of the bars D will therefore cause the pointsC to move inward, as in Fig.5. To limit the movement of these points, in order that they shall always be at the proper angle to be projected inward, stops, as at c, Fig. 1, are provided in the points a.

I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent In a, hay-fork of the nature described, the frame composed of the bow-shaped frame A,

terminating in two pointed ends made double,

as shown, a central member a, also pointed and made double, cross-brace B, prongs C, pivoted to theframe A and a" and to bars D, short arms E, pivoted to the frame and to the bars D, bar F, connecting said arms, and lever G, pivoted to the frame A and bar F, all constructed and arranged to operate substantially as and for the purposes specified.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

HENRY Il. WRIGHT.

Witnesses:

G. W. ZINN, W. O. HOFFMAN. 

